


Things Left Unsaid

by Emriel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Love/Hate, M/M, Mind Control, Mutual Pining, Obsession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 20:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18506827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emriel/pseuds/Emriel
Summary: They saved each other.To Keith, Shiro is everything. But Shiro is blind to how much he mattered to Keith. It takes a darker part of Shiro to accept that perhaps the feeling is mutual.





	Things Left Unsaid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artsy_alice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsy_alice/gifts).



> My best friend warned me not to watch S8 or I’ll be disappointed. And whatever happy thoughts I had regarding Shiro and Keith were sort of dashed away… and now I am just feeling kinda sad with the ending, and this came out.
> 
> The first chapter just wants to dig deep inside Keith’s head. It’s very emotional for me. T^T
> 
> It’s 2am. LOL but I’m happy I got this out. Finally. Unbetaed. Read this twice so I’ll just do another pass through in a day or so.
> 
>  **To Ali** : If you’re reading this. I love you for introducing Voltron to me. And I love you <3\. LOTS. The first chapter is all love. Second is where it gets a little messy so you can read it as a standalone if you want.

 

‘I won’t give up.’

It was like a mantra in his head as he chased after the one man who mattered the most to him.

‘Because you never gave up on me.’

Fighting Shiro was probably the most difficult thing he’s ever done in his life. But he had to keep trying because he couldn’t lose him. Not again.

Not for a third time.

It was selfish but he knew that this was worth it. He’d go to the ends of the universe and back if it meant Shiro was with him, home, safe and sound. He knew Shiro would do the same for him, or for any member of the team in a heartbeat.

So Keith gave chase.

 

* * *

 

Growing up was hard.

He grew up in a small house in the middle of the desert with his loving father.

As a child, he had to learn how to do things by himself. Cook, clean, wash the dishes, fold clothes, do the laundry, and repair the house if needed. His father was always out and sometimes he returned home altogether too tired to do anything but sleep. What had to be done had to be done so Keith rolled up his sleeves.

It’s not as if his father was a slouch. Far from it. But growing up with just the two of them far away from civilization made things… a lot harder than it should be. Grocery was miles away. Water if they ran out, meant danger, and they’ve kept stacks and stacks of them at the ready.

Desert animals weren’t all friendly, and Keith learned what to do if he’d been stung by a scorpion or how to avoid or kill one. Heating and cooling was essential too but power outages came from time to time and in the mornings, the sun would cook his skin, opening the pores of his face, and the evenings were so cold in comparison that he’d wrap himself around three layers of blankets.

More times than he could count, Keith found himself tossing out a snake outside of their house, and over the years, as a kid, he’d learned how to make sure every nook and cranny was inspected so they wouldn’t get in.

But at the same time, despite these many challenges, life was simple. As long as they stocked enough food, they wouldn’t starve. Keith didn’t have a lot of playmates frowning up, so he learned to read, and learned how easy it was to pass time all by himself.

He started feeding birds, and made friends with wild animals. He just grew up that way. There was really no one to talk, no relatives who bothered visiting, no friends because Keith found it hard to make friends and no one in their right mind would go so far outside of the city outskirts just to see him or his father.

By the age of three, he was incredibly self sufficient.

The one good thing Keith liked was being close to the garrison, because even when he knew how to fire a gun or wield a blade, it was reassuring that if they were really in trouble, the garrison was right there.

He once hated his mother. She left his father, and left him motherless.

And the only thing she gave him was a sharp dagger.

His father lived in the hopes that his mom was alive, but he never talked about her. At first, Keith didn’t want to ask. He didn’t want to set himself up for heartbreak really.

He remembered the people around him praised his father for being so responsible. Always rushing headfirst to save lives.

The women in particular liked to flirt, and were awed at him for taking care of a kid all on his own. A responsible man like him would fetch a high price for being a husband, not that Keith understood that before.

But his father was still very much in love and would never accept a replacement. And it was because of this love that his father pushed himself into being a better person, working to make ends meet and at the same time, working his ass off so he could stop himself from thinking about how much he misses her.

But Keith needed a father.

Whenever there were parent teacher meetings, his father wouldn’t always make it. World War III already ended and they still get fires. It was ridiculous.

And while not having his father show up all the time was bad, he still did when he could but children his age would then ask “Where’s your mother?” And when he replied, “I don’t have one.” They’d always frown and say sorry for asking.

And he’d get so annoyed and angry because… Fine, he doesn’t have a mom, so what?

But other kids were cruel. And they grew worse when they found out his father died.

Because that’s what firefighters do, they risk their lives and sometimes they burn alive.

He had nightmares of how his father must have collapsed, choking from smoke, his body charred black and brown, as the flames licked his skin, cooking it from the inside. The smell… the sound... the sight of it was something that haunted him for years.

And soon, he was dragged out of his home, into a distant relative’s house who couldn’t manage him because he refused to touch the stove. Because. Fire.

Keith eventually got over that, but by the time he did, he was stuck in an orphanage. One of the many homes for children like him. But losing his father hurt and it changed things.

He never even got to say goodbye, or say sorry for being a stupid kid. Keith knew he was a handful, and that he was more trouble than he was worth. Everyone said the same thing.

He had so many things to say, and the only things he could say were said in front of a piece of rock who he tried to imagine… was listening to him. And it brought little comfort.

And if he cried, he made sure no one saw it.

The orphanage was a breeding ground for bullies. And he had to learn how to act fast. Run fast. Hit hard. He had to take what he could get. Learn to steal if he wanted to something bad enough despite the consequences.

And Keith was a bad boy. At least, according to the adults he was.

Life was tough, but adults all around him kept trying to put him inside the system. Institutionalize his thinking so he can be like the others, all prim and proper, groomed for the purpose of serving the country one day... But he hated that. He hated his classmates. He hated his teachers. He hated the orphanage.

He sometimes felt the urge to beat everyone up, and sometimes he’d get into brawls. Many times he’d win despite his size. And he gathered himself a reputation.

They were all the same.

Keith knew he was trouble because he was different. He was rough around the edges. He couldn’t sit still. He hardly had patience to sit still because rather than stay in class, he wanted to go top speed at beating the shit out of video games, racing games, or playing with the real things. The big guns. Motorcycles. Fighting people.

That’s what he enjoyed.

He was always trying to find a way to escape the tediousness of everyday life, and more often than not it got him to trouble.

It got him to prison. It got him to getting beat up and called names. And during those moments where he was busy trying to beat up someone else, he felt alive. Because fighting seemed second nature to him. It got his blood rushing. It let the frustrations out because he kept everything inside… and only through fighting does it ever get to come out.

That he was still hurting.

Because no one really cared.

And he learned early on  _ never _ to trust anyone.

By the time he was ten years old, he’d been passed around to more homes than he could count. They wanted him for his unusual eyes. Pretty face, they said. And they’d cut his hair this way and that and he’d hiss like a cat because he wanted to keep it long in memory of how his father liked it. Because it reminded him of his goddamned mother.

Those strangers would make him wear clothes, but he didn’t want any of those, he just wanted to wear the colors he wanted. He wasn’t a doll, and he was never going to listen to any adult even when he knew they made sense.

Keith was left wanting.

He wished for a chance. A change. A sign.

But there was nothing.

He knew he had to get his shit together but somehow, no matter what he did, he always just ended up being labeled as the problem child He was mediocre. Classmates bashed him.

They were afraid of him but they kept bullying him. No one wanted to get close because he never let anyone in.

Keith retreated to what he considered a safe respectable distance of  _ cold indifference. _ He’d keep quiet for as long as he could, glaring at something, or another, before his temper could get the best of him and get him to trouble.

Then Takashi Shirogane happened.

It was just another day. Another boring day when this man from the Garrison suddenly showed up saying he’s looking for kids who might want to join them. See if they had potential.

Space exploration. It was one of fancies he had as a kid but Keith never really thought about it, so he watched from the sidelines. To his surprise, they brought them outside and they were shown a weird pod like thing. The simulator.

They took turns. Failing. And Keith felt stupid because if everyone failed, what was the point in trying? Everyone was done except him.

Shiro bugged him to try it out.

And he did. And Keith aced it.

The feeling of actually being  _ good _ at something quenched a thirst that he never knew was there. This, he could do  _ better _ than anyone.

The simulation was almost too easy, and it felt so intuitive to Keith who’s never really done anything like it. It was almost like he was high, flying.

But just when things were getting fun, someone had to say something. That maybe the sim was broken, and that’s the reason why he was the only one who cleared past level 3, and broken into level 5.

He crashed.

And it hurt. He thought he was done with feeling hurt. Jaded enough and it annoyed him.

Impulse kicked in. Keith ran away.

And stole Takashi Shirogane’s car out of spite. Because it was there and it looked nice.

But that stupid man just had to bail him out of prison and for the first time in his life, Keith was surprised. What a fucking kind man

“What’s wrong with you?” Keith wanted to say.

But Shiro was all smiles. Shiro was willing to give him a chance. And that more than anything was perhaps what saved him.

And it was not a one time thing. No. Shiro stuck by him. He pushed papers to get him into the Garrison. He made sure Keith got into the dormitories and out of the  _ house _ . He routinely checked on him because he wanted to “be there whenever you need me.”

Every time it happened, Keith was asking himself, “Why me? Why are you so kind to me?”

At first, he was still the little rebel. Sneaking out after curfew, to steal cars (out of habit) or use the training room to practice some moves against dummies. Filching keys, hacking into secure locations just to watch private video feed— being a deviant because it gave him the thrill.

He mellowed him out with his soft smiles, warm hugs, and a heart that would give anything and everything to him if he asked. And Keith pushed his luck, asking for things no teenager should be asking.

Keith gifted him a motorcycle of his own that must have cost a fortune. A watch. A phone. Almost, he asked for a private room in the Garrison, wondering if Shiro would take the bait and he  _ did. _

“I have a spare room you can use if you ever need one.” With keys.

“I don’t really need it Shiro. I was just messing with you, old timer.”

“Keith.” Shiro’s brows were furrowed, just like it did whenever he was trying to explain something difficult to him, “whatever you need. Just ask. I know you need this. You wouldn’t have brought it up if you were fine with it. Are they harassing you in the dorms? Tell me. I’ll do something about it.”

Keith wanted to accuse Shiro that he was acting like a sugar daddy, but that was below the belt and Shiro was far from that.

Far. Far below.

He was Shiro. The big brother he always wanted.

And could never learn to accept he had.

Eventually, everytime he was just about close to committing a crime, of not following instructions from senior commanding officer, he started thinking about ‘what would Shiro think? What would Shiro do?’

The amazing Takashi Shirogane was busy enough, raking awards, teaching students, going to missions, but during his spare time— he was  babysitting hanging out with Keith.

So really, at fifteen, in the privacy of the training room, after Shiro once again beat him up and they were both trying to catch their breaths, Keith gathered the little courage that he had—damn it if he didn’t like the answer—and just asked the fucking question, “Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because you deserve it Keith. You have so much talent in you, it’s a waste if we don’t do anything about it. I can see it clearly. I know what everyone else is saying and I say let them talk… because their words don’t matter. I want you to stop letting it get to your head. What’s important is that I believe in you, and you have to believe in yourself. I will never stop trying. I will never give up on you, okay? No matter what.”

And Keith felt something unexplainable bloom in his chest and he didn’t know what to do about it.

“But I’m nobody! You don’t even know me. You don’t know what I’ve been through. What I did in the past fifteen years of my life? I’ve done shitty things, Shiro. Bad things. I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Keith was good at running away. He was about to bolt for the door but before he could, Shiro was hugging him.

“Hey. I know you’re not used to this. You’re not used to people caring for you. I can’t say I know what it feels like to lose your parents. I don’t know what it’s like to grow up in an orphanage… but I know what it feels like to have everyone else say you’re not going to make it. I know what it feels like to be rejected without even being given the chance to try and… you know what, there was a time that I was willing to give up on myself and I’m so glad I didn’t.”

Keith felt so tired then, and even though a part of him wanted to punch Shiro’s face for hugging him without his permission, Shiro’s hugs felt nice.

“Why? What changed?”

“I found someone who believed in me.”

Keith pushed himself away, and looked at the floor, “So you’re trying to say you just want to do the same for me? Pass the baton? That kinda shit?”

“Language Keith. And if you want to put it that way, then yes. There is something about you. I know that you’re a good kid and I hope one day, you’ll believe me when I say you’re worth it. If you need some time alone to think, then you’re free to go. Just know that I’m here, whenever you need me.”

Keith pulled away and Shiro just gave him a weak smile, as if the man knew he pushed his boundaries too far that day.

Keith couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t hear anything beside the rush of his heartbeat. Thrumming. He felt warm. And loved.

For the first time since his father died.

Keith was out of the door when he mumbled it, a quick “Thank you, Shiro.”

From his peripheral vision, he could see Shiro smiling.

And that was the first time he felt his heart stop, breath punched out of his gut in the metaphorical sense. Because that smile—He could look at that smile forever.

 

* * *

 

Keith liked to think his feelings for Shiro was platonic.

When he found out that Shiro was sick, and because of that his superiors rejected his assignment to go to the moon, Keith finally understood what Shiro meant when he said no one believed in him.

But for everything Shiro did for him, Keith wanted to repay it tenfold. And if there was something Shiro wanted to do, he would support it 100%.

Shiro went to the moon.

And went missing.

 

* * *

 

Things fell apart.

He couldn’t accept that everyone else said Shiro was gone because Keith knew that Shiro wouldn’t die just like that. The higher ups were probably trying to cover it up, and because of his hard headedness, he got expelled from the program.

It was like someone slapped him and pulled the rug beneath his feet. He just wasted the chance Shiro gave him. He never wanted to curse so much but what’s done was done.

If Shiro was gone, there was no point.

Losing Shiro almost felt like losing a foothold in reality, and once again, he ignored everyone who tried to help him. Took the bike that Shiro gifted him, and rode far away, to where his gut would take him. After having gone through this before, he was a lot better at putting himself together.

Or so Keith tried to tell himself. But really, he was a mess.

And he chased after the inexplicable feeling in his gut that somehow magically, he’d stop being a mess someday.

For some reason, a sixth sense kept telling him that despite whatever that happened, he was on the right track. He was going mad.

That was probably it. Keith had finally accepted he was a lunatic, trying to piece together random clues and making a map based on his “feelings” but for awhile, that was all Keith had.

He did random jobs to support himself, hid in a shack in the middle of the desert and...

It was tedious, but he had nothing else better to do. And if he stopped to think about reality. Shiro. The Garrison. Well... There was a reason he didn’t bother.

Because that’s what sadness felt like.

It was raw. And you just don’t know when it would end despite wanting it to. It ends when it wants to end, and you’re there to ride the waves of it.

They feel endless.

So Keith tried his best not to wallow in his own thoughts, and instead pushed himself into following what his crazy sixth sense was telling him. And it pointed in one direction.

Because eventually Shiro came crashing from the sky like godsend.

 

* * *

 

All of a sudden, he was not just some random crazy kid, he was the pilot of the red lion, one of the five Defenders of the Universe forming what Allura called “Voltron”. Koran filled in the details she forgot, and told them that after they took the blue lion and escaped Earth, they were somehow millions of miles away from Earth.

Voltron was such a crappy name, but who was he to complain?

He was living a dream. He felt alive again.

But sometimes, living felt like a nightmare because the more they fought the Galra, the more he realized that he had to stop being selfish.

It’s one thing for Allura to say “Save them.” But how does one go about saving planets and their people? How do you even wrap your mind around the fact that every time you go out there in the open, you risk dying. You risk, failing and with that failure, you risk losing more people to tyranny.

And these people were suffering. Suffering cannot be described with words. Plants were harvested of their resources, people enslaved to the point that they’ve never seen the sky with the sun. Suffering knew no name, but it had a face and Keith felt something resonate in him with this.

He tried to ignore it at first because Keith wasn’t good with that crap, but with Shiro’s leadership, Allura’s guidance and the rest of the team coming along— maybe it was alright.

And that feeling became empathy. That feeling grew into a sworn oath that he’d do his utter best, cast out the selfishness because the universe was a lot bigger than his petty problems.

It was time to roll the bigger sleeves.

Death. Destruction. Chaos aside.

They moved on fast.

 

* * *

 

When Shiro went missing for a second time, and everyone just wanted to “move on” too, Keith went nuts.

Because Shiro was important to them, and while he knew Shiro entrusted him the team, he was not cut out for it. He didn’t want to take on the responsibility, because if he did, it was like admitting that Shiro was dead.

But out of dire need, he finally accepted the position of being the pilot of the Black Lion because Shiro once entrusted it to him, probably foreseeing that he didn’t have very long. Which was stupid.

Keith was needlessly aggressive. He kept pushing the team because that’s how he handled things.

The team hated it.

But eventually they got their bearings. Even Lance out of all the people, warmed up to him as their leader.

And when Keith was finally learning to lead the team just as Shiro wanted him to, Shiro came back.

And while he was happy, Keith felt out of place.

Because Shiro wanted to do things his way. And Keith always clashed with him. He hated that. And, when they met the Blade of Marmora, Keith decided that he’d chase after the questions that plagued his identity.

Who was he? Was he… the very same monster that they were fighting? A Galra that Allura hated to the very depths of her being?

So Keith chased after the Blades because that was his biggest lead regarding his Galra Heritage.

Shiro eventually supported the decision.

There were many loose ends Keith never bothered to tie. His feelings for Shiro was one. He knew that Shiro was his best friend, mentor, and probably the most important person in his life.

But beyond that, Keith didn’t know what he wanted because he didn’t know what Shiro was willing to give.

And Shiro already went through so much. Fighting in the gladiator pits, enslaved for years, getting his arm chopped off and replaced by Galra tech. His friend was suffering behind walls but was just too proud to talk to anyone of them about it.

Even to Keith.

They didn’t have time for it. And frankly, Keith didn’t want to open a can of worms or be rejected.

So he let it be and  _ things were left unsaid _ .

 

* * *

 

Killing people with his bare hands left him trembling at first.

The blade cut through everything cleanly, but it’s not as if it wasn’t met with resistance. Different species had different textures. Galra flesh felt like cutting through a human’s thoroughly hardened muscle. 

Cutting through Galra robots differed based on their composition. And depending on his emotions, the blade would end up slicing enemies like butter or it would be extremely unwieldy. It was worse when he was surrounded by twenty of them. All hungry at the chance to take him down.

Being stealthy was a game he got good at, and if Keith had something to say about himself, it was perhaps he was a born assassin. He couldn’t morph his features and he was too well known so he never got to play the spy.

Kolivan was a good mentor. According to the “master”, he was unpolished diamond, but he was getting there.

Kolivan believed in him, and if he didn’t he would have probably been kicked out and his blade confiscated many moons back.

He knew he was willful, and many times Kolivan would scold him for risking the success of the mission for following whatever misguided morals he had. And early on he learned that the success of the mission wasn’t affected by how many of them survived.

But Keith liked keeping people alive.

The Blade of Marmora thought of themselves as indispensable but when the time came, they would willingly sacrifice their lives if it meant fulfilling the mission.

They were still Galra and if Galra believed in Victory or Death, the Marmorans believed in completing the mission without compromise... Nothing more. Nothing less.

So Keith pushed his body to the limits. Close calls came when he thought he’d run out of air in space. Where he’d lose too much blood and think that he was almost too close to dying.

Even if it got him beat up, and bruised and he had to submerge his entire body to a tub of ice cubes to numb it, or lie down inside the healing tank for hours— 

Keith had to keep going.

Because something in his gut told him this was the right thing to do. It was fun. He felt alive.  _ He was useful.  _ It’ll help his team survive.

 

* * *

 

He met his mom in the worst possible circumstance, and as they drifted across the universe with no idea of their possible survival, Keith learned to forgive her and he made peace with the left over anger of his past.

He shared everything. And when he told his mom about Shiro, Krolia had a knowing look in her eye.

Krolia laughed at his indecision, “You know, there are times when you have to say things you don’t want to say, Keith. You’ve been given plenty of chances to speak up, and in our line of work, we’re lucky we’ve survived for so long. Time is precious, Keith.”

Keith looked away then but soon replied, “I know. I just don’t know if he’ll be comfortable with it—”

“If Shiro is anything like what he is in your memories, he’d appreciate if you told him how much he means to you.”

“Why?” Keith never had any experience with love. He didn’t know how to worked. All that he knew was that sometimes, or maybe that was even lying to himself, but yes _ sometimes,  _ he felt like what he felt for Shiro was beyond platonic.

Because Shiro was everything…

Without him, Keith wouldn’t be who he was today.

Krolia rubbed his hair, grinning ear to ear, and patted his back, “You’re being funny, kiddo, do you think your Shiro will be happy that you’ve kept such  _ big _ secret all these years without even bothering to tell him?”

Keith wanted to say something to this, but his mouth kept opening and closing like a fish.

“I’m right, and you know it.”

Mother and son bonding aside, the Quantum Abyss was dangerous. Because in there, they could easily be pulled apart by space and time… and it was only through quick thinking that they survived.

Many things tried to kill them. Even harmless looking grass could turn into a writhing snake or tentacle like creature that could melt and eat their flesh.

It was fortunate that their bodies were resilient. Eventually they learned to gather food, cook and salvage whatever remains of body parts for something that resembled water.

Keith never thought he’d be gutting creatures for their innards in search of water but you learn a new thing one day at a time.

The best thing about the trip was this space cub/wolf, which kept on growing and growing, and Keith loved it to bits.

Without his mother, he would not have survived. And when they got back to the Castle of Lions, Keith found out how little time actually passed. It was two years for them

Yes he looks older. Yes he found his mom whose name is Krolia. And yes he has a space wolf pet.

He thought it was going to be alright, when he told himself he’d gathered enough courage from his mother’s pep talks to tell Shiro what he really felt for him and then Shiro went crazy.

And damn the universe if he was going to lose Shiro a third time. Because three times is more than enough.

If he couldn’t save Shiro—

‘I’ll die trying.’

 

* * *

 

“I know you’re hurting. We just need to keep it a little longer.” He said to the Black Lion. Keith was really pushing it to its limits.

Through a wormhole. Through a hoard of Galra ships. Thoughts of Shiro consumed Keith.

Eventually that white ship went out of a big Galra ship and the same sixth sense that managed to let him hunt Shiro down in Earth came rushing back.

He followed the white ship, not knowing where it was headed until he landed in some sort of planet facility.

Keith followed Shiro’s footsteps. Through the desert. Through a cave and saw a gigantic door, screaming of Galra tech.

Descending down to the core, he saw a massive structure.

There were pods. Thousands of them. He kept walking and walking until curiosity got the best of him.

He touched a pod and saw a body.

Keith gasped because. It was Shiro. And as the pods lit up around him. So many copies of Shiro. He couldn’t piece it together. It was hard to comprehend.

“Hello Keith,” The man behind him greeted him, wearing the Black Palladin’s gear.

Shiro’s eyes were glowing Galra pink.

“Shiro, it’s going to be okay.” Keith started.

“Yes, I know.” Shiro was positively feral.

“We just have to go back to the castle.”

“We. Are not going  _ anywhere _ !”

_ And  _ at that moment. Shiro came for him.

He’d never seen Shiro look so angry. And despite the fear, Keith’s blood warmed up for a fight.

Because he knew that there was no way to reason with Shiro. Not when he was like this. They would talk. With their fists. And their swords.

It was a mad chase. Shiro’s punches hurt like hell, and it took all his training not to get stabbed by that sword from Shiro’s arm.

As he got into the fight, a part of Keith started to enjoy. It. His eyes dilating because this was at least familiar.

And he wanted to push as hard as Shiro could give him, because the Shiro he knew would never give him a fight like this.

The thrill of the chase and the hunt was so strong. It got his Galra blood singing. So he went for the kill and swung his sword, kicking Shiro off a platform and another until he had him inches against the edge.

The sound of their blades whizzing and clanging was a symphony. Keith loved it.

Like an animal set free of its bindings. He would have continued attacking, and he was winning, pressing down with his Marmora blade against Shiro’s and growling.

He wouldn’t have stopped until Shiro was beaten black and blue. And he’d drag his sorry ass back with him if he had to but Shiro opened his stupid mouth and said, “That’s the Keith I remember!”

‘Fuck.’ He wasn’t here to enjoy the fight. He was here to bring Shiro back and he wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

Distracted, Shiro managed to push back and dislodged Keith’s sword by swinging it around until it flew away from Keith’s hand.

Keith ducked from the sudden swing, and ran after the blade, a mad dash just to run away from this homicidal version of his best friend who was so relentless in attacking him.

Keith still didn’t understand why. Purple and metal all around him. His back would be sore for days given the beating he was getting.

Almost unable to catch his breath because how could he when Shiro kept dicing everything up just to get to him. He had to duck down when Shiro’s blade cut through the space where his head was just moments ago, and it cut through metal behind him. Things came crashing down forming a temporary barricade between them.

“Shiro, I know you’re in there. You made a promise once. You told me you’d never give up on me.”

“And I should have abandoned you just like your parents did.” Shiro angrily retorted.

But Keith knew Shiro would never say that. Shiro wouldn’t have the heart to. Wouldn’t forgive himself if he did.

“They saw that you were broken. Worthless. I should have seen it too.”

Keith put a metaphorical plug in his ears because despite what his brain was telling him, it still hurt to hear those words from Shiro.

“I’m not leaving here without you,” Keith retorted.

And Shiro just smiled, “Actually, neither of us are leaving.”

When Keith looked up, he saw the lights flash red. 

Electricity was sparking and warning bells in his head went off. This was dangerous. Shiro suddenly started groaning in pain, as his whole right arm went bright pink.

“Shiro!”

And as if it had a mind of its own, Shiro fired a beam from his arm that began to destroy the facility.

At that moment, Keith thought that it was probably Shiro’s arm. He had to cut it off, but could he do that?

Right now, Keith had to run away because Shiro somehow gained the ability to fire gigantic laser beams that could slice and dice apart metal and he fired it at him mercilessly.

He held on to wherever he could hold on, falling hundreds of feet down to the ground. He held onto the ledge of what seemed like a satellite dish, pulled his body upwards and he survived, his body just barely able to hold on.

Panting. Reaching for the blade that got stuck paces away from him. His body wouldn’t cooperate. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. But he had to.

‘Come on. You can do this.’

Then Shiro landed beside him. Keith waited. He could have stabbed him right away, but Shiro watched him, taking the time to see him struggling to reach for his sword. When Shiro swung his blade down, hard, Keith blocked just in time.

But his arms were trembling. And it hurt that Shiro was trying to kill him. But he knew this wasn’t Shiro. Someone was causing him to be like this or something.

Keith hardly had energy left to fight him… but he still wouldn’t give up.

He couldn’t give up. He’d never give up on him.

“Shiro, please. You’re my brother.”

“I love you.”

 

* * *

 

Something in Shiro’s eyes changed, but he just got angrier and he pressed down even harder.

“Just let go, Keith. You don’t have to fight anymore.  By now, the team’s already gone. I saw to it myself.”

Keith saw red at the thought of losing the team and he found the courage to change the Blade of Marmora’s form. It cut through Shiro’s arm, severing the piece off his body.

Keith didn’t want to do it. But he had no other choice.

The facility was breaking apart.

He was probably going to die. He almost felt like crying.

Right at that moment, Shiro looked up with recognition in his eyes. The gentle look, and horror.

“Keith?”

The platform beneath their feet collapsed. Debris scattered around them. Keith stabbed his sword through metal, holding on it with his right hand, and on his left he held on to Shiro who fainted right after he woke up from the nightmare.

He couldn’t let go now. Now that he had him.

His arms felt as if it was getting torn into two. But he still wanted to save Shiro because he couldn’t lose him again. Not again. Not ever.

The disk broke apart and Keith could feel his ears ring, his vision was fading but all he could think of was to never let go of Shiro’s hand because if he did, it’ll be all for nothing. 

Memories with Shiro kept flashing in his head. How it was Shiro who pulled him up and out into the very same light. Shiro. Was his light.

He slipped. 

Two.

Falling.

Wind in his ears.

Heart, beating like a train wreck.

Into the blinding yellow white.

Keith tried his best.

If this was it.

If he’d die from this.

He was ready.

And everywhere around them.

White.

 

* * *

 

“The only reason this kid is here is because you vouched for him.”

“Hey.”

“Look I know I messed up. You should just send me back to the home already.”

“Keith you can do this. I will never give up on you. But more importantly, you can’t give up on yourself.”

 

* * *

 

Keith.

Keith.

Keith.

“Where are you Shiro?”

 

* * *

 

“You were trying to kill me?”

“The others… you said you were—”

Shiro explained to him what had happened. Apparently his Shiro was already dead.

“I died, Keith.”

 

* * *

 

Keith woke up and felt that his team was in danger. He begged Shiro to help him. The Black Lion grew wings and he travelled in super speed. Reunited with the rest of the team, they fought Lotor, and lost the Castle of Lions in the process.

But the  _ imposter _ wouldn’t wake and as he explained everything to the team, they all took it in stride and Allura suddenly did some weird Altean magic, took Shiro’s consciousness from the Black Lion and transferred it to the clone’s body.

And just like that, Shiro was awake again, now with extremely white hair.

“You found me.”

“We’re glad your back Shiro.”

“Rest,” came Allura’s gentle voice.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a day since Shiro woke up from the recovery pod and Lance stuck him with Krolia, Koran and Shiro in the Black Lion.

For some time during the long travel, Koran and Krolia went towards the back to get some shut-eye.

And Keith found himself alone with Shiro who was unnervingly quiet.

Comms were down. No one had to hear this. It was private.

There were things he wanted to ask but he might not like the answer.

But the more pressing thing was, “Are you really Shiro now?”

Shiro looked taken aback, and his good hand squeezed Keith’s shoulder.

“Of course, Keith.”

“Sorry, I just had to ask… is  _ he _ still in there somewhere? The other you?”

Shiro looked lost, “I’m not sure, Keith. But taking over this body somehow gave me his memories as well. He never wanted to kill you. It was all Haggar’s fault and if I have to speak for him, he would have wanted to say sorry.”

They let that sink in.

“I know. I just wanted to tell him… that I forgive him. That’s all. That time when he woke up, he looked so lost, Shiro. This is complicated. I should shut up now.”

As if the word complicated brought up another issue, Shiro let go of him and put his back next to the side of the seat.

“You said you loved me. And this isn’t just me being your older brother is it?”

And Keith felt his cheeks up at this because thinking back, it wasn’t necessarily the best way to confess his feelings—

“I’ve known it for awhile now.”

Keith’s head swerved and Shiro gave him a small knowing smile.

“You don’t have to do anything about it, Shiro. I just had to say it to snap you out… I mean, the other you so—”

Shiro sighed and ruffled his head.

“Keith, do you really want to be with me? I’m not getting any younger and you know weak this body is. Despite Galra tinkering with me, I still don’t know if I’ll last long enough. You have a team to lead… and a universe to save. We’re not cut out for this.”

Keith’s face fell at this. Shiro was way too rational for his own good. “So are you going to turn me down, just like that? What if I said I don’t care, old timer? That I love you anyway.”

“Then for both of our sakes, I’ll say no. We can’t do this Keith.”

“Shiro.”

“Keith.” It was gentle, yet reprimanding as well. How long will Shiro hold to his convictions when Keith knew that Shiro had  _ feelings  _ for him too? He just wanted to push.

“Then when this is all over, will you give it a chance?” Keith asked, hopeful.

Shiro nodded and smiled. That special smile just for him.

It was hard to breathe.

“I missed you, Shiro.”

“I missed you too Keith.”

Hugging Shiro was almost like sweet torture, but it felt right to be in those arms.

Shiro smelled good. Smelled like he usually did. Nice. Safe. Warm. Solid. Real.

When Krolia returned to the cockpit, she looked like a cat that got the canary. “Am I interrupting something?”

Keith wanted to roll his eyes if he wasn’t already crying. In his head, he replied, while wiping tears and pressing his head against Shiro’s chest. ‘Yes mom. My second heartbreak.’

**Author's Note:**

> It’s my first time writing a Voltron fic. Please be kind.


End file.
